- In the province of Granada, 4,592 fraud files were opened last year alone.
- During the first two months of 2023, Endesa made 15 actions against massive fraud in Granada with 302 illegal connections, 74% of the total supplies inspected.
- Fraud poses a serious problem for the safety of people living in these areas, since manipulating electrical installations can cause fires, electrocutions and electric shocks.
Last year Endesa, through its e-distribution networks subsidiary, identified in the province of Granada 31.8 million kilowatt hours defrauded, that is, the consumption of about 10,000 homes, equivalent to a town like Almuñécar.
In total in the province of Granada last year 4,592 files were opened for massive fraud, a practice that poses a serious risk to the safety of people living in these areas, since the installations manipulated to make an illegal connection are unprotected, making them a possible focus for fires due to overload, as well as electrocutions.
Endesa regularly makes inspections of electrical installations to detect this type of illicit practices and has the support of the security forces when it involves massive fraud or fraud for marijuana plantations. These plantations are mainly located inside homes and buildings, which highlights a growing problem, which affects the safety of neighbouring buildings, the quality of the electricity supply and peaceful coexistence between citizens.
19% of the marijuana fraud cases detected in 2022 in the province were in the city of Granada, mainly in the Zona Norte. It is specifically in this area where Endesa has developed a special investment plan in order to alleviate the problems generated by these illegal connections.
Endesa has made comprehensive improvements to the entire electricity infrastructure that serves the Zona Norte in Granada, involving an investment of €8 million, 6 of them in the last 3 years. This 360º improvement involved actions both in high voltage, with the expansion of 50% of the power at the Pulianas substation; in medium voltage, with a new distribution line linking the Pulianas substation with the new Zona Norte Transformer Centres; and in low voltage with the installation of 15 new transformation centres, as well as the deployment of 30 km of new network, plus complete digitalisation and a sensorisation system installed in all the Transformer Centres in the Zona Norte.
Last year in these areas alone the company invested more than €9 million in actions to reinforce its infrastructures in order to alleviate the saturation of the distribution networks generated by this situation. This plan involved strengthening the low and medium voltage networks and the installation in the last 6 months of 9 new transformation centres in these residential areas with a view to tripling the energy power despite the fact that contracting levels stand at 30% in these areas.
Together with these actions to improve and increase the dimensions the network, Endesa is stepping up its actions to detect electricity fraud in coordination with State Security Forces and Bodies. So far this year, 15 actions against fraud have been taken in the city of Granada, resulting in the detection of 302 illegal connections, 74% of the total supplies inspected. The latest of these operations took place last week in the Zona Norte, where 46 supply points were inspected, 36 of which had illegal connections.
Endesa is also using artificial intelligence for the detection of electricity fraud, applying machine learning and deep learning techniques to detect non-technical energy losses.
A specific Machine Learning unit has been created, consisting of mathematicians, computer scientists and engineers who apply artificial intelligence in the fight against electricity fraud at Endesa. They are experts in data science and big data. These new professional profiles have been incorporated into Endesa's workforce in recent years and work together with inspectors in the field to develop and improve predictive models.
About Endesa
Endesa is the largest electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an end-to-end generation, distribution and marketing business. Through Endesa X it also offers value-added services aimed at the electrification of energy usage in homes, companies, industries and Public Administrations. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the digitalisation of grids through e-distribución and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, Europe’s largest electricity group.